We're Like 'The Fox and The Hound' (Only Less Depressing)
by Mordreds Girl
Summary: Stiles thought he'd spend his eighteenth birthday playing video games and high on sugar...Things didn't really work out that way. AU.


Done for the Teen Wolf AU meme on LJ.

XXX

Waking up with the sudden urge to cause mischief is nothing new in Stiles' life. In fact, it's how he wakes up most days. And while he usually gives into this urge in the form of tiny pranks on the werewolves in his life, today is his birthday and he's planning on doing nothing more than sit on his ass all day and kick virtual butt.

Then he tries to get up and realizes there's something horribly wrong with him.

Small dark paws are where his hands should be, and as he flails around he spots a red and white tail; he's seriously regretting not having a mirror in his room right now. He opens his mouth to point out the obvious to himself, that's he's a freaking fox. But all the tumbles out is a bark/scream.

His dad starts to move around in the other room and Stiles freaks. Without a second thought he flings himself from his window, and somehow manages to land without hurting himself.

Scott's house is closer, but Scott had mentioned something about him and Allison today. Derek's a better idea anyways, because at least he (or hell, maybe even Peter) might have an answer. So with a spring in his. . ._step? Trot?_ Stiles starts making his way to the Hale house.

000

His trot isn't so springy when he finally reaches the house. He's pretty sure he'll be mortally terrified of crossing the street for the rest of his life. But he's made it, unscathed even (and it should be vaguely disturbing that out of everything this is the most surprising).

Once at the door he scratches and gives what he hopes is a very Stiles-esque sounding whine.

Issac's the one to answer and the look his gives Stiles is one of hilarious confusion. Stiles jumps and yips, trying to convey the gravity of the situation and Issac grows even more confused. "Uh, Derek? There's a fox at the front door."

Part of Stiles wants to laugh, because even to him that is a freaking hilarious sentence. But the rest of him is uninterested in finding out what fox laughter sounds like. So without preamble he scampers into the house between Issac's legs. "Hey!"

Issac starts chasing after him, and Stiles enjoys being able to, for once, stay ahead of a werewolf. If it weren't for the inability to talk and the lack of opposable thumbs Stiles realizes he wouldn't mind staying a fox, the Hale house is about a thousand times more interesting when you can fit under all the furniture.

His fun is cut short by a hand grabbing the scruff of his neck and picking him up, bringing him face to face with Peter. "Well what have we here?"

Stiles grins and Issac starts babbling about what happened. Peter's nostrils flare as he inhales and Stiles can _smell_ his surprise (_woah_). "Stiles?"

Issac stops talking and Stiles nods his little fox head as vigorously as he can. The sigh Peter gives is filled with a wealth of meanings, chief among them 'it was only a matter of time really'. "Your boyfriend is probably horribly confused, let's go clear things up."

Stiles wants to ask how Peter knew (not that he and Derek were _hiding_ their relationship per say), but current foxiness prevents him. And honestly, Stiles doesn't really want to know how Peter perfected his omnipotence. Because it's terrifying enough to accidentally confuse Peter with God.

Derek's in the study, looking like he usually does when there's a surprise problem (usually Stiles' fault, though Stiles isn't sure if this one is his fault or not): five seconds away from slamming something (or someone) into a wall. Stiles doesn't think that would work too well this time, foxes are a lot smaller than Stileses.

"Stiles." Stiles yips in confirmation, look! An actual conversation. "Do you have any idea how this happened?" Human!Stiles would shrug, but he doesn't know how well that would work so fox!Stiles shakes his head.

Derek's sighs can also be quite expressive when he puts his mind to them. This one ranges from 'why is my boyfriend such an idiot' to 'what did I do to deserve this?'. "So you just woke up this morning and discovered you were a fox?"

'yip, yip', goes Stiles. He can hear Issac shuffling his feet behind Peter. "Should I call Deaton?"

Peter lets go of Stiles and he falls, landing once again easily on the ground (though Stiles would never call himself cat-like). "No need to bother Deaton, Issac," answers Peter. "Stiles can solve this problem on his own."

Stiles wishes he had eyebrows again, because the little howl he gives just isn't expressive enough.

This time Peter gives his patented 'you're all idiots' sigh. "Have you once thought about being human again?"

Now that Peter mentions it Stiles really hasn't. So he closes his eyes and concentrates on being human: having opposable thumbs, pale skin, hair, more height and weight, and. . .the room is suddenly a lot colder. When he opens his eyes things look a bit duller, and when he looks at himself he sees the usual expanse of pale skin and (thank Peter-God) boxers.

He flails his arms about in excitement. And just because he can: "Go Team Stiles!"

Peter gives a huff of amusement before leaving the study and dragging Issac with him. Stiles looks at Derek and smiles. "So, uh, were-fox? Or some weird magic thing?"

Derek rolls his eyes and sits down in the desk chair. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Stiles stands, pausing for a moment thanks to vertigo like _woah_, and then plops himself down on Derek's lap. "Definitely happy birthday to me though."

That gets him an honest-to-God Derek smile, and then he's being pulled down for a kiss, and Stiles kind of forgets about foxes; because seriously kisses are a helluva lot more interesting.


End file.
